2008 Archives: Dirty Girl Farm: Green, Eco-Friendly Skincare
Having shouldered our share of landfill guilt, we’re all about reducing packaging. In fact, the more we learn about ubiquitous plastic, the more we cringe at the copious amounts of cups, bags and, yes, facial cleanser bottles we contributed to the junk heap before we got schooled in recycling.
Our latest online find is an article by Captain Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation which he posted from a boat in the central Pacific Ocean where circular ocean currents sweep pretty much everything that goes into the drink—sort of like the way the water circles clockwise down the drain. Except in this case, there’s no drain, just a floating mound of the plastic we’ve discarded over the last 50 years, snaring animals and destroying eco-systems through oily toxins like DDT and PCB which are sopped up by the material.
But we digress. We’re talking about beauty here, right? Guilt trip aside, the idea of using a minimally-packaged bar soap to wash our faces seemed tantalizing, until we tried it and ended up either dry or pimply or both. Seemed like we’d be bottle-bound for eternity. (Recycling them, of course.)
But Dirty Girl Farm’s line of environmentally-friendly, chem- and cruelty-free (among other –free things) facial bars is truly our just reward. And it’s not just for their hilarious girl-gone-wild name: We’re addicted to their Lavender & French Clay Facial Soap, which draws out impurities with French Clay and combines this with lavender and chamomile in a glycerin base that melts away to nothing. Yes it’s wrapped in a wee bit o’ cling-wrap, which we promptly recycle. (Is that kosher?) But as reader Lynn Campbell, who gave us the head’s up (thanks Lynn!) puts it “no fancy foo foo stuff” can be found at Dirty Girl Farm, just plain-wrapped good old-fashioned squeaky-clean products. Plus, they’ve been greenies for 13 years. And if you happen to be in the Michigan area, check out their residencies at local Farmer’s Markets like Royal Oak now, Warren in the spring and Birmingham come June.
Because you’re a dirty, dirty girl.
